Cushing Academy
| Cushing Academy | |
|---|---|
 Cushing Academy and Science Building ca. 1908 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Coordinates | 42°38′0″N 71°54′48″W / 42.63333°N 71.91333°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, College-prep, Day and boarding |
| Motto | Virtute et numine (By virtue and the gods) |
| Established | 1865 |
| Founder | Thomas Parkman Cushing |
| CEEB code | 220050 |
| Co-Heads of School | Margaret Lee, Catherine Pollock |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 400 |
| Average class size | 12 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 6:1 |
| Campus | 162 acres (0.66 km2) |
| Color(s) | Purple and white |
| Athletics conference | NEPSAC |
| Mascot | Penguin |
| Accreditation | NEASC |
| Tuition | $59,750 (boarding); $41,300 (day) |
| Website | cushing.org |
Cushing Academy, in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, is a private, coeducational college-preparatory school (grades 9–12 and a postgraduate year) for boarding and day students. It was founded in 1865 by Thomas Parkman Cushing, who was a successful Boston merchant. Cushing was among the first coeducational boarding schools on the East Coast. Total enrollment today is about 400 students.
Upon his death in 1854, Thomas Parkman Cushing bequeathed money to establish Cushing Academy. Following a provision from his will, the money accumulated for ten years before a board of trustees applied for an act of incorporation. On May 15, 1865, the Great and General Court of Massachusetts granted a charter, and the Academy opened in 1875 on land formerly known as Bancroft Farm.[1][2]
Cushing is situated on a 162 acre campus that overlooks the town center of Ashburnham, which lies about 62 miles from Boston. The campus occupies hills that command a wide view of Mount Wachusett to the south and Mount Monadnock to the north.[3][4] The academic buildings include the Main Building (completed in 1875, and following a fire, a new building was dedicated in 1894); the Joseph R. Curry Academic Center; the English Building; and the Emily Fisher Landau Center for Visual Arts. Ashburnham House and Alumni Hall are the largest student dormitories. Sports facilities include the Watkins Field House, Heslin Gym, Theodore Iorio Arena, and several athletic fields and tennis courts.
Cushing enrolls students from 26 states and 28 countries. Cushing welcomed its first international students in 1889. Continuing a long tradition, currently about 45 percent of the student body is international. [5][6] The faculty-student ratio is 1:6 and 68 percent of faculty hold advanced degrees.
In 2009, Cushing made headlines for its plans to spend $500,000 transforming the Fisher-Watkins Library into a learning center with a number of e-readers, flat-screen televisions, special laptop-friendly study carrels, and a coffee shop.[7][8][9] In an Update to Parents dated September 10, 2009, the headmaster stated that most the library's printed books would be replaced over a two-year period with e-books, but reassured that "books, in all formats, will continue to abound at Cushing."[10][11]
Notable alumni
- George Weston Anderson, judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- Nate Berkus, author and television personality
- John Cena, WWE wrestler and actor
- Herbert H. Chen, theoretical physicist
- Bette Davis, actress
- Phil Pressey, basketball player in NBA
- Pete Snyder, entrepreneur
- His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, King of Bhutan
- Football: Johnny McQuade, Ray McLean, Kenny Gamble, Ollie Satenstein and Mike Evans
- Hockey:
- Bobby Allen
- Richard Bachman (ice hockey)
- Zach Bogosian
- Chris Bourque (son of Hockey Hall of Fame member Ray Bourque)
- Meghan Duggan, U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team, silver medal 2010 and 2014
- Bryan Ewing
- Ryan Lannon
- Erika Lawler, U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team, silver medal 2010
- John Lilley (ice hockey)
- Broc Little
- Eric Nickulas
- Brad Norton
- Jeff Norton
- Tom Poti
- Conor Sheary
- David Warsofsky
- Keith Yandle
Notes
References
- ^ Hill, Heather (Spring 2016). "Cushing: Yesterday and Today". Cushing Academy. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved June 3, 2017.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; June 4, 2017 suggested (help); Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Cushing History". Cushing Academy. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Grace Powers Thomas, Where to Educate, 1898-1899: A Guide to the Best Private Schools, Higher Institutions of Learning, etc., in the United States, Boston: Brown, 1898, p. 122.
- ^ Knudson (Thomas), Grace, ed. (1898). Where to Educate, 1898-1899: A Guide to the Best Private Schools, Higher Institutions of Learning, etc. in the United States. Where to Educate. Boston, Brown and Co. p. 122. LCCN 99000422 – via Google Books.
- ^ Brooks, Andree (November 22, 1981). "Preppies from Abroad". The New York Times Magazine. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ "2016-2017 Profile" (PDF). Cushing Academy. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 1, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Antolini, Tina (November 9, 2009). "Digital School Library Leaves Book Stacks Behind". National Public Radio (Transcript). Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; June 6, 2017 suggested (help); Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Abel, David; Girard, Chris (2009). "Cushing Academy library goes bookless". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; August 17, 2016 suggested (help); Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Tracy, James; et al. (February 10, 2010). "Do School Libraries Need Books?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 5, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; June 6, 2017 suggested (help); Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Tracy, James (September 10, 2009). "Library update from Headmaster Tracy". Cushing Academy. Archived from the original on January 12, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Can e-books and print peacefully coexist?" (PDF). American School Board Journal. National School Boards Association: 26. January 2010.